New Orleans Not Part of Bush's Speech

[Judi Lynn]

New Orleans Not Part of Bush's Speech
Wednesday January 24, 2007 3:16 AM
By JENNIFER LOVEN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - New Orleans is still a mess and the pace of recovery across the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina's strike remains achingly slow after 17 months. But none of this captured President Bush's attention on the year's biggest night for showcasing policy priorities.

In the president's State of the Union speech last year, delivered just five months after the disaster, the devastation merited only 156 words out of more than 5,400.

On Tuesday night, the president spoke for almost exactly as long before a joint session of Congress. But Katrina received not a single mention.

By contrast, in the days ahead of the president's address, Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia compared the U.S. money being spent on Iraqi reconstruction with the fraction committed to the Gulf Coast rebuilding. And, chosen to give the Democratic response to Bush on Tuesday, Webb brought up the continuing struggle of Katrina victims right away, listing ``restoring the vitality of New Orleans'' just behind education and health care among his party's most pressing priorities, according to the text of his speech distributed in advance.
(snip/...)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6367000,00.html

[tsuki]

1. No shit. I am pissed. n/t

[Anita Garcia]

12. me too!

[Olney Blue]

2. Out sight, out of mind.

[BlueStorm]

3. This has me pissed off to no end.. n/t

[Gemini Cat]

4. Unbelievable! nt

[iamjoy]

5. Bush Mentioned New Orleans, Right?

Indirectly, when he talked about the horrors of that September morning.

He was talking about September 1, 2005 - right?

Oh, yeah - he wasn't.

[intheflow]

6. K&R

He ignored it as it happened, you don't expect him to remember it 17 months later, do you?
:sarcasm:

[Uncle Joe]

35. He can remember longer if the tragedy gives him a good photo op,

I counted four times he mentioned 9/11 or Sept. 11th, on this day he got to stand on a pile rubble with a fireman and bullhorn.

Cutting cake and picking air guitar while a city drowns and the gulf coast is ravaged just doesn't reflect that Audie Murphy image.

[PSPS]

7. What's with Webb?

Granted, I didn't listen to any of the speechifying tonight. But this piece in the article jumped out at me:

"Webb brought up the continuing struggle of Katrina victims right away, listing ``restoring the vitality of New Orleans'' just behind education and health care among his party's most pressing priorities, according to the text of his speech distributed in advance.

It disturbs me a great deal that IRAQ isn't on the list. It is, by far, the most "pressing priority" of the nation, and it should be that way with Webb's "party" too.

[Torgo Johnson]

9. You might want to actually read the speech.

It's safe to say, with his son there, that Iraq is definitely a "pressing priority" for Senator Webb

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x22818


"The President took us into this war recklessly. He disregarded warnings from the national security adviser during the first Gulf War, the chief of staff of the army, two former commanding generals of the Central Command, whose jurisdiction includes Iraq, the director of operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and many, many others with great integrity and long experience in national security affairs. We are now, as a nation, held hostage to the predictable and predicted disarray that has followed.

The war's costs to our nation have been staggering. Financially. The damage to our reputation around the world. The lost opportunities to defeat the forces of international terrorism. And especially the precious blood of our citizens who have stepped forward to serve.

The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought; nor does the majority of our military. We need a new direction. Not one step back from the war against international terrorism. Not a precipitous withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos. But an immediate shift toward strong regionally based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq's cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq.

On both of these vital issues, our economy and our national security, it falls upon those of us in elected office to take action.

Regarding the economic imbalance in our country, I am reminded of the situation President Theodore Roosevelt faced in the early days of the 20th century. America was then, as now, drifting apart along class lines. The so-called robber barons were unapologetically raking in a huge percentage of the national wealth. The dispossessed workers at the bottom were threatening revolt.

Roosevelt spoke strongly against these divisions. He told his fellow Republicans that they must set themselves as resolutely against improper corporate influence on the one hand as against demagogy and mob rule on the other. And he did something about it.

As I look at Iraq, I recall the words of former general and soon-to-be President Dwight Eisenhower during the dark days of the Korean War, which had fallen into a bloody stalemate. "When comes the end?" asked the general who had commanded our forces in Europe during World War II. And as soon as he became president, he brought the Korean War to an end.

These presidents took the right kind of action, for the benefit of the American people and for the health of our relations around the world. Tonight we are calling on this president to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way."

[kirby]

11. You need to put in it context

Webb split his response into two parts. The first was domestic and the second was the Iraq War. The part you are quoting is from the domestic portion.

[Blue_Tires]

16. welcome to the site!!

[EndElectoral]

8. Your'e doing a heckuva good job Brownie! It stopped there.

[Zambero]

14. "That was soooo last year!"

[aaronbees]

10. Incredible and disgusting there was no mention

BushCo's job is done there.

Kanye West was right. (And I'm not saying it's all about the color of people's skin; but that is a major factor among many in the reasons Bush just doesn't give a damn now and never did.)

[dsharp88]

13. I'm in New Orlerans and I really don't get it...

why does he hate us so much? Especially when you consider how primitive, backward-thinking, and red this state has been for him his past two elections.

[KeepItReal]

15. Wrong. Louisiana is still pretty Blue. That's why he (Rove) hates us.

Democratic Governor. Democratic mayors of the 2 biggest cities (Baton Rouge and New Orleans).

If Katrina happened under Mike Foster's reign (he was the last GOP Governor of LA) maybe we would have had different results.

I believe Mike Brown when he said Bush & Co. treated LA like sh*t only because of Blanco being a Dem.

[rodeodance]

17. once again, the BRITS do a good informative Headline!

[redqueen]

21. Yeah... where's this story from our "liberal media" ?

/sarcasm

[4dsc]

18. I recently drove through New Orleans

And pictures from the TV could not describe the devastation I witnessed from the highway!! I was in utter shock as I drove east on Highway 10. I mean miles upon miles of empty and destroyed homes, business and apartment buildings.. WTF!!

[brentblack]

19. Rebuilding is tough work

I am not here to defend shrub, but I drove through Homestead, Florida two years after Hurricane Andrew. The area (mostly white, Cuban - blue collar) was still in shambles. Houses in pieces; piles of debris everywhere.


New Orleans will take time - more than is normally politically viable. Seriously...ask the folks in Homestead if they feel your pain.

[gratuitous]

24. I did some temp work at Mercy Corps

And also do some volunteering with Brethren Disaster Relief. The books on Homestead and Hurricane Andrew weren't closed by disaster relief agencies until 2002, 10 years afterward. So you're right, it takes time, and some places hit by Andrew will never be put back the way they were. But for Bush to overlook the Katrina damage so completely less than 18 months after it happened is just mind-boggling. Especially in a State of the Whatever speech that was allegedly supposed to be focused on domestic issues.

If Bush isn't willing to bring the power and the purse of the government to bear helping its own citizens, what is he doing in the Oval Office? He's not just the president for Big Oil and his overrich friends. He's supposed to be the servant of all the people.

[melissinha]

23. me too

I was there in Sept 2006, many places have not really changed except for the owners have authorized more demolitions of homes and trees.

please don't forget about Mississippi either, many people had to brave the recent cold spell in tents 18 months after the storm.... We must not forget them, they may have a Republican governor, but they are not being taken care of either.

[intheflow]

41. Two comments:

1) A lot of those New Orleans homeowners did not authorize to have their homes demolished. The city did it without asking people in many cases, particularly in black neighborhoods.

2) I'm working recovery in Mississippi, and no doubt the place still looks like a bomb went off. But I don't know of anyone still living in tents. Not to say there aren't a few folks, but unless they were chronically homeless pre-Katrina, most everyone is at least in a FEMA trailer or other housing by now.

And of course the people of Mississippi are not being taken care of. You said it yourself... we have a Republican governor, a shyster good-ol'-boy ex-lobbyist for the gambling industry. He doesn't give a shit about anything but rebuilding the casinos and turning the Mississippi Coast into Little Las Vegas. :grr: I hate that bastard Barbour.

[rudy23]

34. If more people could really see it, most other subjects would go on the backburner

I hate sounding preachy and repetitive, but if more people could just see the devastation, see the scope of it, and talk to some of the locals, you would wonder why we're devoting any significant amount of time on issues short of Iraq & constitutional issues.

[sakabatou]

20. "Not MY mess."

[benny05]

22. John Edwards Was the First to Point Out that NOLA

Was left out of the speech and then talked about his announcement from there. Edwards said that the President promised not to desert NOLA, then nothing hasn't solved or resolved.

[barb162]

25. No surprises there

He has his priorities screwed up

[catgirl]

26. Gov Blanco Calls For An Investigation

after remarks from Michael Brown where he basically says
Bush & Co ignored New Orleans on purpose and hoped
she would look bad.

[rudy23]

36. I really hope we get some action with this

The national media is ignoring these latest revelations.

I think Brownie came forward when he realized an investigation that cleared his name wouldn't be forthcoming.

[damntexdem]

27. Why should it be?

It has never been part of his agenda. At most, it was a temporary photo-op.

Just be glad that he didn't say of hurricanes: "Bring 'em on!" (Or did he?)

[KamaAina]

28. Bush**, on the other hand, was very much part of New Orleans' speeches

On Thursday the 11th, I had the opportunity while (finally!) visiting N.O. to participate in a citizens' march against violence, precipitated by a spate of murders around the New Year, including those of a prominent community activist and of a brass band musician and music teacher. Many, many marchers had signs that drew explicit parallels between the violence in New Orleans and that in Iraq. Speakers at the ensuing rally at City Hall, including this near-Obama-like address by community organizer Bart Everson:

http://neworleans.media.indypgh.org/uploads/2007/01/011107_avm_everson.mp3

drove the point home as well.

As gratifying as it is to see so many New Orleanians "getting it", it's sad that it took this to bring them around to that point.

[Mrspeeker]

29. HUMM interesting lets analyze!

Freedom, Freedom, democracy, Terrorist Terrorist, they hate us and our ways of life, something about Iraq and freedom and terrorist mating with insurgents to form the ultimate terrorist, then more bold statements like Freedom Freedom and democracy and they hate us for our freedom. (BTW this is the speech he used for the last 6 years)

yeah, I guess your right nothing about New Orleans.

[bdamomma]

30. remember when * refered to NO as another part of the world

what more needs to be said, he is a idiot.

[rudy23]

32. Yep. It worked like a charm, too. nt

[tabasco]

31. Who cares about American cities when we need to hold Iraq for Exxon.

We have a 51st state now that is getting more money than any of the first 50.

[Contrary1]

33. Just another failure he opted to avoid discussing...

His main focus last night was on his failure in Iraq. So many failures, so little time.

[dsharp88]

37. GWB: More important to rebuild Baghdad with our tax dollars than New Orleans because...

Halliburton can't make obscene profits in the rebuilding of New Orleans.

[intheflow]

39. Halliburton has already profited in the rebuilding of New Orleans.

Halliburton's subsidiary Keller, Brown and Root (KBR) has received millions of dollars in no-bid contracts to rebuild parts of the Coast:

Halliburton gets another $33 million for Hurricane Katrina clean-up

[calimary]

38. I am SO glad this is making some noise.

SO glad! And it was straight up top with Jim Webb during his response speech. As it should have been with bush's.

But I can understand why he wouldn't want to draw attention to what many now regard as the tipping-point moment when the American people started waking up about him.

[AnneD]

40. But Webb remembered...

eom.